


luna de la suerte

by zoo (winren)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Librarian!Xiumin, M/M, Prince!Luhan, Prince!Minseok, my sweet soft babies, theyre in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-07 21:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winren/pseuds/zoo
Summary: Luhan is to wed Prince Minseok, but he's never met him and the cute librarian keep catching his attention.





	luna de la suerte

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank like 80 people who've helped me so much with this fic! I want to thank my amazing beta! Thank you so much for looking over my fic and catching my mistakes! You're honestly so amazing! Thank you so much to my other beta who offered to beta and who let me talk about my non existing ending and freak out! You helped me so much! I want to thank S who let me talk about my fic and who invited me to sprints and was the best person ever. I also want to thank E who was the first person I talked to about my fic and helped me plot it even though I didn't know what I was doing. Of course I want to thank the mods!!! You guys are the best people ever!!! Like honestly omfg you guys are so amazing :(

Luhan really loved Luna. He’d joke about how he couldn’t spell Luhan without Luna and that’s how he felt. He felt that without Luna, he’d be nothing. Maybe he was right. 

 

Luna was beautiful. He’d wander the streets at night and watch how the light would reflect off the silver roofs. He’d walk to the lake surrounding the castle and stare at how dark and opaque the water looked. 

 

When Luhan found out that he was to go to Mars he didn't know what to think. The only time he's ever gone to Mars, he was twelve and that was for the funeral of the king's brother. He hated everything about it. He hated how red everything was. He hated how hot it was and he hated how opposite it was to Luna.

 

Yifan had told him during a meeting. He understood everything and they told him what was going to happen from the beginning to the end. He was to visit Mars, sign paperwork, marry the prince and move back to Luna. It sounded easy and Luhan was okay with marrying the prince if it meant that Luna and Mars would have a lifelong alliance and that'd mean safety for his country.

 

Yes, Luhan loved Luna and he'd do anything for his country.

  
  
  
  


Yifan was at the terminal when the ship finally touched down. He and Zitao had gone to Mars a week earlier to make sure everything was in order.

 

Yifan was leaning against a limo with Zitao next to him furiously typing on his phone.

 

"My Prince!" Yifan shouted, running over to where Luhan was waiting at the top of the ship's steps.

 

"Yifan, you're embarrassing me," Zitao mumbled, pushing Yifan out of the way and walking up the steps to Luhan. He bowed slightly before practically tackling the prince and wrapping his arms around the shorter in a bear hug.

 

"Don't ever leave me alone with him for too long, bro," Zitao whined. The three were wearing sunglasses because the harsh sun rays and the bright red of the sand would be too much for him and even a week was still too early to be able to adjust.

 

Luhan pushed Zitao away slightly, the man's sunglasses digging into his collarbones awkwardly. "There's no meeting today, right?" Luhan checked. He pushed Zitao completely off him, along with his jacket, handing it over to the younger.

 

"No, sir. All there is left on today's schedule is for you to get situated in your room and maybe take a tour. The Kim Prince, Jongdae should be giving the tour," Yifan stated.

 

"Prince Jongdae is which son?" Luhan asked. He knew who he was, but he just wanted to make sure he wasn’t confusing any of the princes with each other. 

 

"The prince is the face of the kingdom. You'll probably see him a lot on television or on billboards. He's the middle child, along with Prince Junmyeon. Prince Junmyeon acts as the royal advisor and he will most likely be the one to welcome you first," Yifan explained.

 

"What about my future fiance? Shouldn't he be the first one to greet me?" Luhan questioned. He doesn't miss the way Yifan and Zitao avert their gaze or the way Yifan's Adam's apple bobs when he swallows.

 

"That's the thing, my prince, no one has seen him in about eighteen years," Yifan informed.

 

"You're telling me, I'm going to marry a Prince, soon to be king, that no one knows about? How is that a smart plan? Does his country even trust him?" Luhan asked.

 

"His country loves him. They don't even know that he hasn't been around. They believe that he's been helping his father run the kingdom."

 

"How did he just go missing?" Luhan interrogated.

 

"Technically he isn't missing. You see, he's been in touch through letters all these years and the King says that the Prince understands his duties and will indeed marry you for his kingdom. It's all going to happen still. We don't even have to worry about that. If the King says it's fine then we'll just have to trust his word," Yifan stated.

 

"How can his kingdom love him so much if they've never seen him?" Luhan wondered out loud.

 

"It captures their attention. They believe in a hidden prince who will make their country great. Doesn't that sound like plenty of religions?" Zitao pointed out. Luhan rolled his eyes.

  
  


-

 

If Mars wasn’t so hot and the sky was less red, maybe he’d like it a little more.The town was beautiful and all the houses were made mud and stone that reflected gold. The streets seemed to reflect the light also and if it weren’t for the sunglasses that Luhan was wearing, he’d probably  be blind. The bright lighting reminded him of eclipses when Gaea stood in the way of the Sun. Too strong to look at and still too beautiful to look away. 

 

The castle followed the same color scheme as the town around them. Instead of gold and red, the castle was accentuated with the navy blue flags of Luna. Surprisingly the colors worked well and Luhan couldn’t help but think that it was a good sign of what was to come.

 

When the car stopped, Yifan was the first out of the car and Luhan rolled his eyes at the extraness of how the taller bowed before him and held open the door. At the top of the steps stood five men. From the constant meetings that Luhan was forced to attend beside his father, he knew that two of the men were the King of Mars and the second prince, Junmyeon. He knew that from all the news shows that got casted from Mars to Luna that the one beside the two older ones was Jongdae who served as the face of the kingdom. He was either always on dramas or sponsoring some fast food place. Recently the reason he’s been all over the television because he started a reality show where the viewers got to see the prince and his fiance plan the wedding. Even the residents on Luna would watch it. Luhan was pretty sure he’d seen Yifan watching a couple episodes. 

  
  


The eldest son made his way down the steps and bowed when he reached Luhan. “Your highness, it’s a pleasure to have you. I deeply apologize for not being able to show you around the castle myself. I have some business to attend to, but my younger brother Jongdae and his fiance will graciously take my place,” Junmyeon explained, bowing once more and rushing up the steps and into the castle. 

 

Luhan made his way towards the king and the other two prince. When the Luhan stood in front of the king, he bowed almost at a ninety degree angle. 

“Crown Prince Luhan, it's a pleasure to have you here,” the king said. 

 

“It's wonderful to be here. Thank you for having me. I'll represent Luna well, your majesty,” Luhan replied. The king gave a curt nod and Luhan moved down the line to where the middle son stood. Beside him a taller man stood. Judging by the small clips that Luhan had seen from the show, he can estimate that the man was Jongdae’s fiancé, Duke Yixing of Theia. 

 

Luhan admired them and their true love found not by an alliance agreement. 

 

“Crown Prince Luhan! We're so excited to have you here! It'll be an honor to show you around the castle. We hope you enjoy your stay here and if you ever have any questions or would like a tour around the main city, we’ll be happy to help,” Prince Jongdae offered. He took Luhan’s hand and brought it to his mouth, pressing a kiss on the back of his hand. Yixing snorted and smacked his fiance. 

 

“Excuse the prince. He comes off a little too strong,” the duke explained. Luhan laughed and bowed one last time at the pair before walking over to the youngest son.

 

Prince Jongin, the Warrior, stood at about two inches taller than Luhan. At just eighteen, the prince was just short of being the general of the army. What he lacked in experience he made up in brawn. Except the man that stood in front of Luhan didn’t give off any of that vibes. He was wearing the standard red and gold of the country and he looked much younger than the stories said about him. 

 

“I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope we can get closer over the few months,” Luhan gushed.  The prince’s eyes widened and his face turned a bright red. 

 

“Your highness, that means so much to me. If you ever need anything or want to escape from the two goons next to me, I’ll be here. I can show you the woods or maybe we can spar together,” Prince Jongin offered. 

 

“If we spar, I’ll try to let you win,” Luhan joked. Jongin smirked and bowed one final time. 

 

“We’ll show you to your room now,” Jongdae stated, walking over to the prince. 

 

The walk across the castle was short with Yixing pointing out certain plants. A red kóniklas with large red ears almost resembling a bunny, ran across their path and Zitao shrieked. Yifan rolled his eyes, but when a male eláfius with giant horns and golden hooves walked up to them, Yifan had hid behind the younger. Zitao stepped on his boot and cursed him for making fun of him. 

 

Luhan glared at them for making him look like a fool in front of their guests. Yixing and Jongdae just stood off to the side, stoic faces and not even smiling a little. 

  
  
  


The room given to Luhan was big. It was decorated in blue silk and it reminded Luhan just a little of his home. The windows were covered and the only light came from the moon crystals that hung from the ceiling. Luhan could tell that they tried to make him feel at home. 

 

Zitao and Yifan had awed at the fixtures and asked Luhan if he'd let them stay there for the night. Luhan had rolled his eyes, thanked Jongdae and Yixing and closed the door.

 

He bathed and made his way to the bed. He could tell right away that it wasn't the same. It could look alike in every way even down to the thread count of the bed sheets, but it all felt wrong. 

 

He got out of bed with all the intentions of finding Yifan and Zitao and taking them up on their offer. 

  
  


He was lost. 

 

He went down three hallways, took two left turns, three right turns, went through the courtyard and somehow managed to end up on the other side of the castle. 

 

“Excuse me, sir?” someone asked, tapping Luhan’s shoulder. Luhan turned around, fighting stance, arms out ready to attack. The person stepped back, shocked. 

 

“I'm so sorry, I thought you were going to attack me,” Luhan apologised. “Did you need something?” 

 

“I was just wondering why you were on this side of the castle. If you need help finding your way back I can help,” they responded. 

 

“I was looking for my advisor’s room. I had to speak to him and I wasn’t around to see where his room was located,” Luhan explained. 

 

“Your advisor? Are you from Luna? I can show you where the guest rooms are and if you happen to look through each one, I’ll pretend to not notice,” the person offered. 

 

“Would you really? Thank you so much…?” Luhan trailed off unsure of what to call him. 

 

“Xiumin,” the person said. 

 

“Xiumin? Is that a Lunan name?” Luhan asked, speeding up to match the other’s pace. 

 

“It is! I saw it in a Lunan book and I really liked it,” Xiumin explained. Luhan nodded. He wanted to ask what the person’s original name was, but he thought it insensitive. 

 

They walked in silence and when they finally reached a hallway that Luhan was sure he had passed at least twice, Xiumin told him it was the hallway the Lunan council were staying in. Xiumin bowed and claimed he’d see him later. Luhan didn’t see how, especially since the castle was so big. When Xiumin was already gone, Luhan barely remembered that he didn’t even know who the man was. He wasn’t given a real name and he wasn’t told what the man did around the castle. He didn’t know if he worked there or if he was just here on business and was a Lord of a outer city or a different planet. 

 

The first door Luhan knocked on, belonged to Yifan. He looked confused to see the prince standing there. “Zitao is in the other room. Do you want me to get him?” The prince nodded. Yifan let him into his room and promised to be back soon. 

 

Yifan’s room was decorated the same. The same blue theme and the same duvet. 

 

“My prince, Yifan said there was an emergency,” Zitao stated once he got into the room. Luhan rolled over in bed and patted the space next to him. 

 

“I’m not used to being in such a different place yet. I’ll need time to adjust. Please come humor me and help me fall asleep,” Luhan pleaded. Yifan was asking if Luhan was serious and Zitao was already tucking himself into bed. 

 

“Yifan, stop being such a boring beanstalk  and come rest with us. Tell us your plan for tomorrow. I’m sure that’ll bore Luhan enough that he’ll fall asleep,” Zitao joked. When Yifan made no response, the younger nudged his side. 

 

“Well tomorrow, after you eat breakfast with the three princes and the King, Prince Jongdae is supposed to show you around. He’s only supposed to show you  half of the castle today. After that, Prince Jongin offered to take you up on that duel, so you could do that, but right after you’ll be needed for a meeting with the King and the King of Gaea to discuss the marriage alliance and what will come out of it. They’re our most loyal allies, so skipping that meeting is out of the question. After that will be dinner with just Prince Jongdae and his fiance. The other two princes will be busy with other affairs,” Yifan trailed off when he heard the soft snores of both Zitao and Luhan. He was impressed that he was actually able to put them to sleep, but it still hurt his ego a bit. 

  
  


Luhan woke up to Zitao pinching his bicep. 

 

“The prince is finally awake! We’ve been trying to wake you up for the past hour. Yifan wanted to wrestle you out of bed,” Zitao stated. Luhan groaned at the thought of being dragged out of bed. He really didn't want that to happen, but he knew if he stayed in bed for any minute longer, the advisor would surely do just that. 

 

“You have that breakfast meeting in half an hour. We’ll be waiting for you at the end of the hallway,” Zitao explained, leaving the prince to get ready. 

 

When Luhan was dressed in his usual blue and white suit, he walked out and saw Yifan and Zitao talking to a shorter man. 

 

When they heard him walk over, thanks to the excessive chains on his suit, the man turned around. Luhan didn’t recognise him as judging by the way the man was reaching for a hug, he should have. He sent Yifan a look asking for help. As Luhan hugged the man, Yifan was off to the side trying to mouth who he was. The man released him and clapped a hand on his back. 

 

“Senator Kim Kibum! It’s so nice to see you after such a long time! What have you been up to?” Luhan asked, continuing his walk down the hallway. 

 

“I’ve been visiting Io for business. It’s so beautiful. Have you been there, my prince?” Senator Kim asked. 

 

“Once, but it’s too bright. I prefer the silver of Luna,” Luhan explained. 

 

“Of course. There’s nothing quite like home. It’s good to be back on Mars,” Senator Kim sighed. “I hope to see you tomorrow at the ball. Save me one last dance before you become the Crown Prince’s fiancé,” Senator Kibum said. They stopped outside where the dining hall was. “I have to go to a meeting. I’ll see you later. I hope your stay here is beautiful.” The senator bowed leaving the three behind. 

 

Luhan turned to Yifan and bowed. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what i’d be doing if it weren’t for you.” 

 

“You’d be in your bed sleeping and not on your way to have a special breakfast with your future in-laws,” Yifan tsked. He pushed the door open to the dining hall and Luhan walked in with the two following behind him. 

 

King Kim and Queen Kim sat at opposite sides of the table. When the prince walked in, they were already standing. They looked perfect in their royal attire. The red and gold in their gown and suits reflected the light seeping through the windows. Between their two seats stood the three princes. Their suits matched their father’s and Luhan felt suddenly awkward standing there. The thought of wearing a full gown and suit to breakfast felt weird. He felt overdressed even though everyone around him was dressed the same. Luhan bowed, taking his seat at one of the tables. Yifan and Zitao took the seats next to him, sitting closer to the Queen. 

 

“How was your first night, Prince Luhan,” the Queen asked. The servants placed plates of food down and set water in front of him. He reached for the water right away, downing it in two gulps. 

 

“It was nice. I slept like a baby,” Luhan lied, smiling as he side eyed Yifan and Zitao. The prince that sat across from him, Prince Jongdae, noticed this. He made eye contact with Luhan and raised his drink. Luhan blushed, confused, but still raised his glass towards him. 

 

“We hope you enjoy your stay. How was the tour of the castle? If you have a complaint about the tour guide, I’ll be sure to fire him,” the King joked. 

 

“The tour was just fine and the tour guide was great company. Be sure to give him a raise.”

 

“Prince Luhan, if you wish to see anywhere else, please let me know and I’ll handle the tour personally,” prince Jongdae offered. 

 

“I’d actually like to see the library and maybe the garden,” Luhan admitted. 

 

“Our library is wonderful. It’s kept in top shape by our librarian,” Jongdae said. He was sitting up straighter, as if the library really did excite him. “I’ll show it to you after breakfast, if you’d like.” 

  
  
  


After breakfast, Luhan and the King and Queen talked lightly about the wedding. Luhan didn’t touch on the subject of how he didn’t even know who he was marrying. He really wanted to ask, but he knew it wasn’t his business. Or was it his business since he was about to marry their son. 

 

Jongdae was waiting for Luhan when the conference was over. There was no sign of Jongdae's fiancé and Luhan had sent Zitao to help Yifan with their letter of progress. It felt weird being all alone with the prince. 

 

“When you marry my brother, will he be going back to Luna?” Jongdae asked softly. 

 

“Yes, at least I think so. I’m the only heir to the Lunan kingdom,” Luhan stated. “Maybe Junmyeon will become the next King. To be honest, we haven’t talked much about this. The meeting where we discuss this will be the day after the ball.” When Luhan mentioned the ball, Jongdae perked up. He spun around and stopped in his tracks. 

 

“The ball! I forgot I have to help my mother with the preparations! I’ll show you the library real quick and I’ll have to be off. I’m sure the librarian can keep you great company. He’s a sweet man,” Jongdae explained. Luhan nodded, patting the prince’s shoulder in understandment. 

  
  


The door to the library looked identical to all the doors on the hallway. Unlike the other doors, this one had the words Library engraved into the wooden door frame. The door frame was also engraved with flowers and vines that mimicked them growing around the frame. 

 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jongdae asked. “This was Minseok’s favourite place. The Queen had it engraved for her son. I like to come here and just stare at the tiny details. I’m sure my brother would have loved it when he got older.” Luhan blushed. Hearing about his future fiancé in past tense made him feel ill. The solemn way Jongdae spoke about his brother made him want to call off the wedding with Minseok, so the prince wouldn’t have to go with him to Luna and leave his home. 

 

Jongdae swung open the heavy door and skipped inside. “Hello! Anyone in here?” Jongdae called, walking around the giant table that was placed in the middle. He was heading to the back and Luhan didn’t know if he should follow him. He took two steps forward and screamed, bumping into someone. 

 

“Your highness, I'm so sorry to have startled you, please forgive me,” the person bowed quickly. Luhan recognized him as the person who helped him find the way back to his room. 

 

“Your highness, are you alright?” Jongdae asked, running to where the prince and Xiumin were standing. “Xiumin! The best librarian known to man!” Xiumin blushed, shaking his head. Jongdae turned to Luhan and smiled, pushing Xiumin closer to the prince. “Prince Luhan, this is our amazing librarian. I’m glad you two met so quickly. I’ll be off! Take care of him Xiumin!” Jongdae called already walking out. 

 

The prince turned to the librarian and shifted his weight on the soles of his feet. “So...this is the library. It’s very pretty,” Luhan complemented, running his hand along the bookshelves. They were engraved with roses. He was impressed with all the details that they put into the library.

 

“it’s beautiful. It’s why I’m here so often,” Xiumin explained. Luhan nodded and walked down the first row of shelves. Xiumin followed him, staying a few paces behind. The prince ran his fingers across the spines of the books, none of them really catching his attention. He wasn’t  in the mood to read, his mind was occupied with the ball and how he was going to present himself to the whole kingdom as their future alliance partner. Luhan turned to the librarian, making him jump back in surprise. 

 

“I heard the library was created for the Crown Prince. You must be honoured that they let you take care of a place that means that much to the Queen,” Luhan stated, tilting his head as he admired the rose petals engraved into the wood. 

 

“I am very honoured. The beauty of this place really showcases the love the Queen had for her first born,” Xiumin explained. 

 

“Is he dead?” Luhan asked in a mere whisper. The librarian winced in shock. His eyes clouded over and he bit his lip harshly. 

 

“I have no clue, your highness. I’m just a librarian,” Xiumin said. He turned sharply ready to walk away, but Luhan reached out to grab his arm. 

 

“You don’t know anything about the Crown Prince? You seem to be around his age. They didn’t tell you anything about him? Please, I’m desperate. I’m to marry a man that I know nothing about,” Luhan pleaded, his eyes shutting with a sigh. 

 

Xiumin stared at him, bewildered. “He’s not dead. The King would never sign you to an alliance with false claim. The Crown Prince will be back in time for your wedding.” Xiumin admitted. Luhan’s shoulders visibly relaxed. He released the librarian’s arm, but Xiumin didn’t walk away. He stayed put, searching the prince’s face. 

 

“What about the ball, will I see him there?” Luhan asked, his voice merely a whisper. 

 

“I don’t know, your highness, I’m sorry.” 

  
  


Luhan found himself at the garden with Jongdae and Yixing. Jongdae was talking to Yixing about the ball. Luhan was sitting by the fountain, staring at the trees that were sprouting yellow flower buds. They went perfectly with the reddened sky, complementing the yellow rays from the sun and shining off the golden roof of the castle. 

 

Someone slid next to Luhan on the fountain, scaring the prince and causing him to drop the stick his has picked. 

 

“Sorry about that, your highness,” Prince Junmyeon apologised, reaching down and picking up the yellow budded stem. He handed it back to Luhan with a bright smile and Luhan had to look away, back to the tree. 

 

“What brings you out here?” Luhan asked. 

 

Junmyeon glanced at where his brother stood with his fiancé. They were too busy looking at the koi fish to notice that he was there, sitting with his guest. “I saw you alone and as a host, I felt I needed to come keep you company. I’m sorry if I interrupted your train of thought, you seemed a little out of it.” 

 

“I was just thinking about the alliance and the Crown Prince. I’m thinking about asking the King and Queen if I could send him a letter. He keeps in touch by letter, right?” Luhan asked. 

 

“Yes, he does. I’m sure he’ll answer your letter,” Junmyeon assured. He placed a hand on Luhan’s arm, smiling softly and his eyes wandering off to where his brother was still at. 

 

“Can you tell me anything about him? You two were close right?” 

 

Junmyeon sighed, removed his hand and stood up. “We were best friends. He was a sweet boy and would always take care of me. I love him and owe everything to him. I know you’ll love him too. He’s just like you, your highness, a clever boy who loved the garden. I have to go, tell my brother to start paying attention to you or father really will fire him.” Junmyeon turned around and walked the opposite way of the castle, towards where the Red River ran. 

 

Luhan sighed. No one would tell him anything. He really needed to send letters and see if the Crown Prince would answer them. He would ask for sure during the meeting later that day. 

  
  


Luhan knocked on the giant wooden doors to the library. A few moments later, the door opened and the librarian with orange hair stood there perplexed.

 

“Your highness, you don’t need to knock. The library is always open,” Xiumin explained, leaning against the door frame. The prince blushed, nodding. He followed the librarian. “Did you need anything? I’m not good with personal stuff, but I can help you find a book.” Luhan chuckled and took a seat at the table. He noticed the same carvings that were on the bookshelf and the door frame. 

 

“These are the same flowers as the ones in the garden. The pretty yellow ones,” Luhan observed. Xiumin nodded and walked off. He came back with a book and flipped to a page before placing it in front of the prince. 

 

“Those pretty yellow ones are called palo verde. They’re native to Gaea, but we found they’re one of the few plants that can survive in the harsh heat. The King planted plenty of them for his wife, who came from a colony in Gaea. He wanted to make his wife feel at home,” Xiumin said. His eyes beamed when he talked about the flowers. 

 

“They’re beautiful. The meaning behind it all makes this library even more spectacular,” Luhan complimented. “Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer.” 

 

“Is it personal?” Xiumin questioned, taking the seat across the prince. 

 

“It doesn’t have to do with you. It’s personal on my end,” Luhan explained. Xiumin nodded, waving hand so Luhan can continue. “Do you think if I send the Crown Prince letters he’ll answer?” 

 

“Of course. You’re his fiancé,” Xiumin said. Luhan nodded, biting his lip nervously. 

 

“Are you going to the ball?” Luhan asked, leaning forward. The librarian flinched. 

 

“Of course.” 

 

Luhan smiled, leaning back and crossed his arms. “Do you have a book about Mars customs?” 

 

“A book about Mars in a Martian library? Highly unlikely,” Xiumin joked, standing up and walking to the back. He returned with three leather-red binded books. The golden pages reflected the light streaming through the high stained glass windows. He placed them on the table, the sound ringing through the empty library. 

 

“This one is all about Mars customs when eating. This one touches briefly on religion and greetings. This book will be your holy grail. It talks all about the customs within the royal family,” Xiumin stated, pushing the biggest book towards the prince. 

 

“Will you help me?” 

 

“I’m not royalty, your highness.” 

 

“Surely you know of some things. You’ve been at the castle for a while, right?” 

 

“My whole life.” 

 

“That’s a long time. You’ve never visited another kingdom?” Luhan questioned. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for the other. 

 

“I’m a librarian, your highness. I can’t afford to visit somewhere else,” Xiumin explained, looking away from the prince and at the stained glass. 

 

“Where would you go?” 

 

Xiumin looked back at Luhan, his eyes gleaming. The bright colours that shone through the windows highlighted his face in pale red and yellow. “Luna.” 

 

“You’re not just saying that because i’m here right?” Luhan joked. The librarian blushed shaking his head. 

 

“I’m not. I think Luna is very beautiful,” Xiumin admitted. The red shadows shifted to a blue.

  
  
  


Luhan and Jongin were sitting outside on the patio. Behind them soldiers were practicing. Jongin should have been practicing, but Luhan had gone to take him up on the offer to a duel. Prince Jongin had called for some tea first. 

 

When they were stretching, Prince Jongin took off his robe. Luhan stared at his body. He was fit and he understood how Prince Jongin was a general at such a young age. 

 

Someone handed Luhan an épée. His arm lowered because of the weight. He looked over at where the prince stood. He was leaning against the épée, talking to someone. Luhan squinted against the bright rays of the sun and saw that the person was Xiumin. Luhan tilted his head trying to think of why the librarian was out here on the other side of the castle. 

 

“Prince Luhan! I’m afraid we’ll have to do this another time. The King is calling for you. Xiumin will escort you there,” Prince Jongin called. He handed his épée over to the nearest person and made his way over to the prince. “Make sure you ask him about the letters,” Jongin urged as the two passed by him. 

 

Xiumin and Luhan walked in silence halfway across the castle. Luhan wanted to ask him something. Anything. He didn’t know what. 

 

“So, you’re going to ask about the letter?” Xiumin asked, breaking the silence. Luhan stated at his profile in shock.  

 

“Yeah, that’s what i’m hoping. I didn’t know he’d get back to me so quickly. I just sent Zitao to make the appointment this morning,” Luhan explained. 

 

“Appointment? He’s your future father-in-law and you had to make an appointment to meet him?” Xiumin joked. Luhan shrugged. He knew how busy it was to run a kingdom. His father was always stuck in his study, his hair was greying and he was super skinny since he never had time to eat. 

 

“I mean, I have to write a letter to my own fiancé since I don’t have the privilege to speak to him face to face,” Luhan stated, rolling his eyes at how it sounds. Beside him, Xiumin winced. 

 

They stopped outside the King's office. Xiumin smiled, bowed and walked away leaving Luhan standing alone, staring at the details in the wood. They weren’t the same as the ones in the library. They weren’t even flowers. They were just swirls and it made Luhan appreciate the library more. 

 

He knocked, waiting for a reply. The door swung open revealing the King. He smiled when he saw the prince standing there. “Your assistant said you wanted to speak to me. Is everything alright with your stay?” the king asked, motioning for the prince to make his way into his office. Luhan nodded and took a seat at the desk. 

 

“I was wondering if it’ll be possible to send Prince Minseok letters. I was hoping he’d reply. Maybe I could use them to get to know him before the wedding,” Luhan stated, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants. The king stared at him for a while, nodding slowly. When it finally registered what Luhan had said, he smiled, threw his hands up in the arm and laughed. 

 

“Of course you could send him letters! What a brilliant idea. When you’re done writing your letter, bring it to me and I’ll make sure it gets to him soon,” the king said, standing up. “Was there anything else you needed?” Luhan shook his head standing up also. He walked over to the door and bowed before walking out. 

 

Yifan was at the end of the hallway talking quietly to Prince Junmyeon. Luhan made his way over to the two. “Hello, Prince Junmyeon,” Luhan greeted bowing. Junmyeon bowed too. 

 

“I have to get going. It was nice talking, Yifan. I’ll see you at the ball tomorrow, your highness,” Prince Junmyeon stated, waving and going towards the king’s office. When he was gone, Luhan turned to Yifan smiling brightly. His advisor rolled his eyes at the prince. He started walking off. Luhan bounded after him. 

 

“Don’t start. He was talking to me about work. He was asking about Luna and what were good times to visit. He said he wanted to visit when it was warmer, so he wouldn’t be too shocked at the difference,” Yifan explained. 

 

“Yifan, do you think that Prince Minseok would like Luna? What if he hates it and wants to cancel the alliance?” Luhan voiced his concerns. 

 

“He won’t cancel the alliance just because of the weather. He’ll probably cancel it because you snore when you sleep,” Yifan joked. Luhan smacked his shoulder.” That’s not something you should jobe about,” Luhan said. The assistant just rolled his eyes. 

  
  


The ball was all everyone around the castle could talk about. During the morning tour of the park, Prince Jongin was talking about the ball and his date. During lunch, Yixing and Jongdae we’re discussing whether or not to record it for their show. Yixing claimed they shouldn’t because it was Luhan's ball. Luhan had said it was okay and Jongdae gave him his dessert as a thanks. 

 

After lunch, Luhan escaped to the library. He wanted to finish his letter. He had half of it done having had done it before bed, but he didn’t know how to end it. That’s why he was sitting at one of the tables in the back. He didn’t know it was there, but he had rammed his toe into it when trying to look at the stained glass. 

 

Xiumin was busy organising the bookshelves. He seemed stressed and Luhan wanted to ask him if he was doing alright. He bit his lip and went back to writing his letter. It felt awkward and he was constantly asking his fiance if he was okay. He was currently describing what he found beautiful. He didn’t want to offend the prince and he was wondering if even having to put that he found Mars beautiful was rude. What if Prince Minseok is sad at the thought that Luhan only found certain things beautiful of his home. Luhan stood up and walked over to where the librarian was balancing on a ladder trying to reach the top shelf. 

 

“Can I as-“ Luhan started, but was interrupted by Xiumin’s scream. Luhan jumped back in shock. When Xiumin saw it was the prince, he rolled his eyes and hit his head with a book. “Don’t walk up to someone like that!” Xiumin cried. 

 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know I was going to scare you,” Luhan defended. “I was just going to ask you a quick question.” Xiumin nodded and got down from the ladder. He placed the books on an empty bookshelf and placed his hands on his hips. He raised an eyebrow and waited for Luhan to continue. 

 

“I’m writing the prince a letter and I was wondering if it’s rude to tell him what I find beautiful of Mars,” Luhan explained. 

 

“Why would he find it rude?”  Xiumin questioned. Luhan tilted his head thinking about it. “You’re not overthinking it are you?” 

 

“I just think that maybe he’ll find it rude that I didn’t automatically find Mars beautiful.” Xiumin stared at him before breaking out into laughter. “You worry too much. Just send the letter. Xiumin turned away and went back to organizing the bookshelves. Luhan took it as his cue to walk away and continue with his letter. He wanted to ask the prince if he was going to attend the ball, but he wasn’t sure if the letter would get to him quickly enough. Luhan knew that the prince was somewhere in Mars, but he didn’t know where. 

 

Luhan’s hand stilled. What if the prince wasn’t on Mars? What if he was on another planet enjoying the different ecosystems. Surely the king would inform him that his fiance wasn’t near. 

 

Luhan left the library with Xiumin in tow. The librarian had said he needed to get ready for the ball and maybe help the Queen with some of the decorations. “What are you wearing to the ball?”

 

“A suit,” Xiumin replied. Luhan rolled his eyes. “I’m going to wear red and gold. Support my kingdom. Are you going to wear navy?” 

 

“I was thinking about wearing navy and red to show the alliance. Would that be too much?” Luhan questioned. 

 

Xiumin shook his head. “I really find you exceptional. You worry too much. It wouldn’t be too much and it’ll probably be accepted by everyone.”

 

“I don’t worry too much. I worry enough.” Xiumin laughed and walked off in the other direction. Luhan shouted a goodbye and continued on to the Lunan hallway. 

 

Zitao and Yifan were already in his room waiting for the prince. Yifan looked pissed. “The ball is in four hours and you’re not even dressed!” Zitao cried, walking over to the prince and thrusting a suit in his arms. “Custom made with the colours you wanted. Do you know how hard t was to get this with only a few days notice?” Luhan smiled sheepishly and started undressing.

 

“I don’t understand why i have to get dressed so early, if you’re not even dressed,” Luhan whined. 

 

“Unlike you, we don’t have to impress an entire nation. Besides, I don’t need four hours to look good,” Yifan jokes. Zitao coughed awfully loud, earning a glare from the advisor. “Do you have something to say?” 

 

“Just that you don’t need four hours because you need longer,” Zitao fired back. Yifan reached for a throw pillow and threw at it the assistant who dodged it. 

 

“Not to interrupt you two, but can you zip me up?” Luhan asked. 

  
  
  


It was an hour before the ball and the royal family and certain guests had to meet at the ballroom to practice how they were going to enter. Prince Jongin and his date were off to the side talking quietly about how they were going to enter. The prince wanted to announce his dates name first, but the other claimed that it would be rude to enter first when Jongin was the prince of the kingdom. 

 

The queen ran over to where Luhan and Yifan were standing off near the corner. “Your highness, do you have a partner to walk in with?” Luhan turned to Yifan and raised a brow. He didn’t know he was supposed to find a date. Yifan put up his hands defensively. 

 

“I’m sorry, Prince Luhan. I didn’t know about this either.” 

 

“It’s okay. You two can walk in together,” the queen suggested. Yifan coughed and stepped away. 

 

Luhan laughed and placaed a hand on his advisor’s forearm. He could feel him tense under his palm and it made Luhan feel bad. He knew how Yifan felt in front of crowds and he didn’t want to pressure him to do something he didn’t want to do. 

 

“Is it possible that there is someone else free? Yifan doesn’t really enjoy crowds and I don’t want to make him appear in front of such a large crowd,” Luhan explained. The queen nodded, biting her lip. She brought her fan out and started fanning herself slowly, while looking around the ballroom. Her eyes widened and she started fanning herself quicker. “Xiumin! Please come over here!” Luhan turned to where she was facing and saw the librarian. He was wearing all red and the gold buttons seemed really expensive. Luhan pushed the thought away and concentrated on trying not to blush. 

 

“Yes, your majesty?” Xiumin asked, bowing at them both. 

 

“Would you mind being Prince Luhan’s date? He doesn’t have anyone to enter with. It’ll only be for the entrance,” she eyed the prince’s suit. “You two are already coordinating colours!” The queen walked off pleased with herself. 

 

Luhan turned to Xiumin and bowed once more. He didn’t know why he did it, but he couldn’t help it. The librarian sent him a confused glance. Luhan smiled at him and held out his arm for the Xiumin to take. The other took it sheepishly. They stood there for a few seconds as Luhan thought of exactly where he was going to go. He spotted Prince Jongdae and Yixing talking off at the side. He squeezed Xiumin’s arm to alert him that he was going to start walking.

“Prince Luhan! Xiumin! Are you two going to the ball together?” the prince asked, jumping up and down. He sent the two a knowing look and Xiumin glanced away, the tip of his ears reddening. . 

 

“Prince Jongdae, don’t kid, you know that he’s almost a married man,” Yixing said, hitting his fiance’s arm playfully. 

 

“No, your highness needed someone to enter with, and the Queen asked if I was okay with it,” Xiumin explained. The prince nodded in understandment. 

 

“Be sure to save me a dance,” Jongdae called, as Yixing dragged him away from the two and towards where the King was calling him. 

 

Luhan and Xiumin looked over to where they were walking and saw the King and the three princes huddled around him. Xiumin coughed and asked if he was alright. Luhan nodded and excused himself. He made his way over to where Zitao and Yifan were standing.    
  
When they noticed him, they bowed and asked if he needed anything. Luhan pointed his head over to where the huddle stood. Yixing was off to the side talking to Jongin’s date. “I wonder what they’re talking about,” Luhan hummed. Zitao shrugged and took a cheese cracker off the plate Yifan was holding.    
  
“Why do you care?” Yifan asked, handing the whole plate to Luhan.    
  
“I don’t. I was just curious,” Luhan claimed. He glanced over to where Xiumin was. He was talking to the queen.    
  
Zitao choked and both the advisor and the prince turned to look at him. He was waving his arms wildly trying not to choke again. “You like the librarian!” he whisper-yelled.    
  
“What?” Luhan asked, leaning towards the advisor. “No! I don’t like the librarian. I mean, I like him, but not in that way,” Luhan explained. He rolled his eyes at how childish it sounded. He felt like he was back in grade school with how Zitao was acting.    
  
“Then why’d you leave him and come talk to us?” Yifan asked.    
  
“It was awkward. I don’t know what to talk to him about,” Luhan admitted.    
  
“ What do you usually talk to him about? You’re always at the library," Zitao said.

 

"I don't know. We usually just talk about certain books and he's been teaching me about the royal customs. Did you know that the third fork isn't used for salad, but for side dishes like potatoes?" Luhan informed. Zitao rolled his eyes. "Okay shoo, go back to your date. The queen is looking over here," Yifan said, pushing the prince away and towards where Xiumin was standing.

 

Luhan made his way over to the librarian who was no longer with the queen. "I brought cheese crackers," Luhan smiled, holding the plate out towards the other. Xiumin smiled and reached for one.

 

"Okay, everyone! The ball starts in thirty minutes! The guests will start filling in! Everyone, please enter the waiting room!" the King shouted, trying to get everyone's attention.

 

It was only a small group of people, but Luhan still felt squished. Prince Junmyeon's elbow was digging into Luhan's rib. 

 

One of the advisors walked in and informed them that most of the guests had arrived and the ball would start soon. The Queen and King were one of the first ones to start the line. At the end would be Luhan and Xiumin, since the ball was for the prince.

 

Xiumin squeezed his hand. Luhan blushed and waited patiently to be called. His mind wouldn't stop wandering. He was thinking about when his letter would reach Prince Minseok and if the prince would read it right away, or leave it for another day. He couldn't help it.

 

He was too busy thinking and he would've missed being called, but Xiumin squeezed his hand once again.

 

The ceremony ended quickly and the dance began. As promised, Luhan saved a dance for Senator Kibum. It was a slow song, and Luhan was forced to answer questions. They weren't personal questions, just about his family and Luna. It was on their second dance that Luhan remembered that Senator Kim was originally from Mars and part of the council.

 

"Senator Kim, may I ask a question?" Luhan asked when the slow song changed to one with a faster beat. The senator nodded and smiled. It was almost as if he knew what the prince was going to ask. "Do you know anything about my fiance?"

 

"I know that he's a great guy. He is smart and he knows just how to rule a kingdom, even when he's not around. The king speaks very highly of him," the senator said. Luhan wanted to roll his eyes. That's all he ever hears whenever he asks people. The only people that seem to know more about the prince would be Junmyeon and his parents. Luhan was too awkward to ask the King and Queen and Prince Junmyeon didn't answer him last time he had asked about the prince.

 

When the dance ended, Luhan walked over to where Yifan and Zitao were sitting. They were talking to one of the advisors for Mars. Luhan didn't know his name, but he was a short man with straight black hair.  When Yifan noticed him, he stood up to get him something to drink. Zitao and the advisor kept talking and Luhan took the time to watch the dancers.

 

Although the song was in a minor key, the smiles on everyone’s faces made it feel much brighter in the ballroom. Luhan spotted Prince Jongin and Prince Junmyeon who were trying to dance a salsa. Jongin’s date stood off to the side, hiding his laughter behind a fan. 

 

Luhan leaned back on his chair, grabbing Zitao’s attention. The secretary leaned forward, bracing his hands on the prince’s shoulders. “What do you know about Prince Jongin’s date?” The Martian advisor laughed and leaned forward also. “That’s Do Kyungsoo. He’s the current major general of the army. He’s up for the main role of general of the southern kingdom,” the advisor explained. 

 

“But he’s so young,” Luhan noticed.

 

“He’s incredibly intelligent. He’s passed every test with flying colours. He’s the one who thought that going against *saturn moon* during the winter would cost us. He saved us from a great loss.” Luhan raised an eyebrow and looked back over to where the man was standing. He was hiding behind a red and gold fan as he watched Jongin dance with some girl. 

 

“Are they together?” Luhan asked, referring to the major and the prince. 

 

“They’re...something. With Major Do’s job in the south, they hardly see each other,” the advisor stated. 

 

Luhan spotted the librarian over by the drink table talking to Yifan. Luhan frowned, stood up and walked over to where the two were chatting. Yifan was leaning casually against the table holding two chutes of wine. Xiumin was laughing at whatever Yifan was mood. Luhan wrapped an arm around the librarians shoulders. “Hello Yifan! Hello Xiumin! How are you all enjoying the ball?” Yifan thrust the cup towards Luhan. “I’m so sorry. I was on my way back to you, but Xiumin has stopped me to ask a question, your highness,” Yifan apologised. Luhan shrugged it off with laugh. 

 

“No worries, Yifan. You made me get out of my chair. I sort of forgot that I was supposed to be meeting new people,” Luhan laughed.

 

“So what are you doing over here? You already know us,” Xiumin stated. Luhan looked at him, his mouth curling upward. He gave the librarian a pat on his shoulder and walked away downing his drink. He handed it over to one of the busboys. When he spotted Major Do, he started making his way over to him. He was talking to Yixing and Prince Junmyeon. 

 

“Hello, your highness.,” Yixing said when he spotted him first. He bowed and the other two followed suit. Luhan held out his hand for Major Do to take. “Prince Luhan of Luna. You must be Major Do,” Luhan winked, raising the other’s hand to his mouth. The major blushed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness. How are you enjoying your stay here.”

 

Luhan smiled at the timid way that the major was acting. “It’s wonderful. I’ve heard so much about you. How long are you staying up here. I hope we can have tea before I leave.”

 

“I’ll be here until the wedding, your highness. Congratulations, by the way,” Major Do smiled. Luhan thanked him. All three of them stood there until Prince Junmyeon excused himself to go to the dance floor and dance with his mother. Luhan held out his hand as a silent offer to dance with the major. He took and let Luhan lead him to the dance floor. 

 

“So Major Do, I heard you’re up for a promotion in the south,” Luhan said. 

 

“I am. Did Prince Jongin tell you about it?” Major Do asked, eyeing where the prince and his older brother were stood. 

 

Luhan shook his head. He wanted to tell him that it was an advisor, but he didn’t want to snitch on the man. When the song ended, the major bowed and walked away towards Prince Jongin and leaving Luhan alone in the middle of the dance floor. Luhan started walking away, but he was stopped by a hand on his wrist.

 

“You don’t really think that you can take me as a date and not save a dance for me, did you?” Xiumin asked. Luhan turned around and smiled, shaking his head. 

 

“I was networking. You know how it is,” Luhan shrugged, taking the librarian in his arms and spinning him lightly. 

 

“I don’t exactly, your highness. A librarian doesn’t have to network. What would be the point?”

 

“New books? Maybe you can find yourself a Duke who will offer to buy you your own library,” Luhan suggested. Xiumin laughed and hit the prince’s shoulder playfully. “What’s the point if I have a perfectly good library here?” Xiumin asked. 

 

“It is perfect, isn’t it. I’m sure no other library can compare. The one on Luna is big, but it’s missing that personal touch that this one has,” Luhan admitted. 

 

“It still sounds pretty,” Xiumin hummed. He let himself be twirled by Luhan, ignoring how it must look to other people. 

 

When the song ended, they didn’t part. Luhan wanted to ask if the librarian wanted anything to eat. He was interrupted by the start of another song. Xiumin looked up at him and smiled. Luhan wrapped his arm tighter around the librarians waist.    
  
“You look really nice, your highness,” Xiumin stated. He looked down, trying not to step on the others feet. Luhan thanked him, and spun him once more, keeping him there so the librarian’s back was flush against his chest. He let them sway for a few moments before spinning him back. “What are your plans after the ball?”    
  
“Why? Are you inviting me back to your room?” Luhan asked, sending him a wink. Xiumin looked away, his face burning up. The tips of his ears, peeking through his hair were bright red showing the evidence that the librarian was blushing madly.    
  
“Your highness, I assure you that’s not what I meant by that sentence,” Xiumin stated, his voice wavering. “I meant for the next few weeks that you’re here. Now that you don’t have the ball to look forward to, what will you do?” 

 

“Probably hang out in the library. I still have to learn all the Martian customs,” Luhan shrugged. Xiumin laughed. “I want to hang out with this really cool librarian. You probably haven’t heard of him. He’s always in the library reading.”

 

“What is he supposed to be doing in a library? Talking non-stop?” Xiumin fired back, smirking. Luhan feigned shock. “Are you attacking me?” Xiumin laughed and bowed. The song had ended and he was the first one to notice. The two were standing in the middle of the ballroom, while everyone was already off the dance floor. The queen was looking over at them, hiding her smile behind her fan, but the corners of her eyes were crinkled in amusement. 

 

“Your highness, would you like something to drink?” Xiumin asked. Luhan moved his gaze back over to the librarian. He nodded, yet as Xiumin made his way over to one of the servants, Luhan followed him. 

 

When they found the nearest help, Luhan was being called over by the king. He sent Xiumin a look and made his way over to the man. 

 

“Hello, Prince Luhan. How are you enjoying your ball? I hope you’re having fun. You seem to be getting close to the librarian,” the King asked, smiling. Luhan shook his head. He didn’t want the king to think he was disgracing his engagement by talking to someone else. The king laughed and placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder. “It’s alright. I’m glad you found yourself a friend  here. Remember if you need anything you can tell me. Speaking of, your letter has already been delivered to Prince Minseok. I hope you get a response soon,” the King said. 

 

“Your majesty, thank you so much. I can’t wait to be able to talk to him, even if it's only over letter,” Luhan gushed. The King laughed, patted his back and told him to go back to his date. Luhan turned to glance over at where Xiumin was standing, holding two glasses of champagne. He was talking to Yixing and Prince Junmyeon. Luhan bowed once more and then made his way over to where the three were. The music was playing still, but no one was on the dance floor anymore. They were either walking around and talking to people, or they were sat at their tables eating dessert. 

 

Xiumin handed him one of the chutes. Yixing was talking about his and Prince Jongdae’s plans for the upcoming week. They were supposed to go on vacation to Tethys. “Oh so you two won’t be around to continue showing me around the castle?” Luhan frowned. Yixing laughed and nudged Prince Junmyeon forward. The prince stepped back, waving his arms in front of him. “Sorry your highness, but I’m too busy to show you around. Maybe Xiumin here will be happy to take up the  duty to show you around,” Prince Junmyeon offered. Luhan raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t know showing me around would be such a difficult task,” Luhan joked. Prince Junmyeon waved his arms in front of him again. “That’s not what I meant! I’d be happy to show you around it’s just that I don’t have enough time on my hands. If I ever do manage to find time, I’ll be happy to do so, your highness!” 

 

“I’m just joking, Prince Junmyeon. I understand that you have a lot on your plate,” Luhan turned to Xiumin, expectantly. “Would it be too much trouble for you to continue showing me around the castle?” Xiumin bit his lip, thinking about it. “You’ll have to bring it up to my boss. I do have a job, you know,” Xiumin joked. 

 

“Great, now that we know that Prince Luhan won’t be bored with his stay at the castle, we can rest easy,” Yixing stated, clapping his hands. Luhan downed his drink, glancing over at Xiumin, who’s red suit and gold buttons seemed brighter than ever under the harsh lights. The man sent him a wink and Luhan blushed glancing away and up at where the King and Queen sat on their thrones. 

  
  
  


Luhan didn’t remember falling asleep. He only remembered making his way back to Yifan’s room and passing out on the other’s bed. Zitao had woken him up by playing the Martian national anthem extremely loud. It was supposed to “ _ get him ready for the day” _ . All it did was make him momentarily deaf and kind of angry. 

 

Luhan had his usual lunch with Yixing and Jongdae before he saw them off. The King had pulled him aside to give him a letter. When Luhan opened it, he half expected it to be from his parents, but that would’ve gone through Yifan instead of through the Martian king. 

 

It was from Prince Minseok and it just had a simple  _ Prince Luhan _ written across the back below the seal which was a red with gold specks and a palo verde symbol. The prince smiled when he noticed the small detail and immediately thought of the shelves in the library and the stained glass. He wondered if the prince also really enjoyed looking at the windows. 

 

The letter was short. It was too short compared to the four pages that Luhan had sent him. It was a simple response of how he was doing away from the castle and how he was interested in visiting the castle soon, before Luhan left and finally meeting him. He asked Luhan about the ball and if he had fun. It all seemed very business like even though the prince was responding about his own experiences. He didn’t know how he felt about it. He wondered if the prince felt like the arrangement was only going to be a business one. He had hoped that maybe sending the prince a letter would make him feel that Luhan didn’t think of it as a business arrangement only and that he truly wanted to get to know the prince. 

 

Luhan found himself in the library, holding the letter between both hands and just staring at the envelope seal that was too pretty to disturb. He cut the envelope from the side, so he could preserve the seal. 

 

Xiumin slid into the seat across from him, startling the prince. “Is that the letter from the prince?” he asked, resting his head on his hand, elbows pressed down on the table. 

 

“Yeah, it is,” Luhan mumbled, folding the letter and putting it back in the envelope. Xiumin frowned, raising an eyebrow at the prince. “You don’t sound that excited?” he asked. Luhan furrowed his brows and looked up at the librarian and above him, where the glass windows were. 

 

“He didn’t really write that much. Do you think that’s a sign that he’s not interested and I should stop writing to him?” Luhan questioned, mindlessly playing with the seal. Xiumin winced and ran a hand through his hair. It was growing out around the ears and curling. Luhan wondered if he’s really been on Mars for that long. 

 

“I think you should keep trying. Maybe you could explain to him that you don’t only see the marriage as a business arrangement and you’re actually trying to make something out of it. Or if you really don’t want to just come out and say it, you could maybe keep asking him certain questions and he’ll start to believe that you actually do care about him as a person and not just the crown on his head,” Xiumin said, shrugging nonchalantly. Luhan stared at him in awe. Everything the librarian just said made so much sense, but the thought of having to tell the prince flat out what he hoped to achieve with the letters was kind of embarrassing. 

 

“Now that we’re done here,” Xiumin started, standing up and brushing his shirt down, “we can visit the forest!” Luhan stood up, following the other. He shoved the envelope into his book bag, along with some of the most famous Martian books. He told Xiumin he’d meet him at the patio because he needed to drop his stuff off at his room. 

 

When Luhan made his way over to the patio, he spotted Xiumin talking to the Queen in hushed tones. He didn’t want to disturb them, so he walked over to where a lone palo verde tree stood. There was a plaque below the yellow tree that was engraved with a date and a simple sentence.  _ the sun will rise and we will try again. March 26.  _

 

“Hey, what are you doing over here?” Xiumin asked, scaring Luhan. 

“I’m admiring the tree. Why are the petals falling?” Luhan questioned. 

 

“Maybe if you read the books I give you, you’d know,” Xiumin said cheekily. Luhan laughed and swatted at one of the branches that hung too low. A couple of petals fell slowly. “It’s because of the climate change. The trees haven’t fully adapted to the cold of the night,” Xiumin explained. Luhan glanced back at the plaque.

 

“Are you ready to go?” XIumin asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Luhan started walking away towards the gates that entered the forest. 

 

“Are we going to see a lot of animals that are native here? I saw a kóniklas on my first day here. It’s ears are so big! We have some on Luna, but they’re much smaller and we call them bunnies,” Luhan explained. Xiumin nodded along. Luhan bet that the other knew this stuff. He was always nose deep in nonfiction books whenever Luhan visited the library. He had been reading about the Gaean history before Luhan had interrupted him. 

 

“What do you want to see first? We can go down this trail that leads us to the river, or we can go down this trail that leads us to a field,” Xiumin asked, pointing down both trails. Luhan really wanted to see what other plants Mars had to offer. He also wanted to see the river that ran red and supposedly sparkled gold. 

 

“That way,” Luhan responded, pointing at the trail that led to the river. Xiumin smiled and led the way down the path. Luhan felt like he had made the right choice in choosing. The way the librarian walked with a skip in his step, made Luhan smile also. He wondered if Prince Minseok took this exact path, or if he took a scenic route through the trees. He wondered if the prince also walked in a skip in his step or if he walked idly to admire the scenery. He mentally made a note to ask him about the trail in his next letter. 

 

Xiumin glanced back, shaking Luhan out of his daydream. “Are you okay, your highness?” 

 

“Yes, of course, why do you ask?” 

 

“You seem a little out of it.,” Xiumin murmured. Luhan hummed in response. He didn’t want to tell Xiumin about his doubts. Luhan furrowed his brows. He didn’t have doubts. He never once doubted his role in the marriage. He knew that once he married Prince Minseok, everything would be fine. He would get along just fine with him and they would rule Luna together, keeping the peace between the two kingdoms. 

  
  


Luhan knew they were nearing the river because the further they walked, the mushier the ground become beneath his feet. His shoes squished and stuck every now and then. He could hear the faint sounds of the water rushing and the trees around them seemed to grow bigger and their green petals were bright and cast shade over the two. Somehow Xiumin always stood in spots where the sun hit him. His hair shone brighter and oranger, and it went so well with the red of the dirt around them. 

 

The trail seemed to go on forever, but Xiumin had stopped and started walking off the path. Luhan didn’t know if he should just blindly follow him, but he figured that the librarian would know more about Mars than himself. Xiumin glanced back and smiled up at the prince when he saw that Luhan seemed hesitant. He stopped next to a tree stump. The trees behind it were so compact and the leaves seemed to grow together. 

 

“Okay, the river is just this way. We could go further and go to the bank, but I think the best part of the river is right here,” Xiumin explained. He ran the vines and they split perfectly down the middle, almost as if it were cut that way. He walked through the parted vines and Luhan followed closely, the vines scraping his arm slightly. 

 

Luhan knew right away why this part of the river was better. It was secluded and a little farther up there was a beautiful waterfall. The river did run red and the way the water fell off the cliff really did make it look like there were gold specs by the way that the light caught the water. 

 

“This is beautiful,” Luhan stated, looking around in awe. His gaze kept going back to the waterfall. The red water was odd and he really loved it. He loved the stark difference of the clear water on Luna. He loved that the river created a cut through the darker red soil. 

 

Luhan glanced over to Xiumin and saw that the other was untying his shoes and toeing his socks off. When he started pulling up his shirt, Luhan looked away. “What are you doing?” Luhan cried. Xiumin laughed and started unbuttoning his jeans. “You don’t expect me to swim with my clothes on, do you?”  He started making his way over the one of the edges of the river. His dipped his toe in and shivered. Luhan watched all of this trying to keep his gaze on the back of the other’s head. When the other jumped into the water Luhan thought why not and started peeling off his clothing items and making his way over to the river, letting the articles of clothing fall behind him. 

 

“Do you know how to swim?” Xiumin asked, from here he resting his head and arms over a rock off to the side. Luhan scoffed. Of course he knew how to swim. He decided to go the easier way in and not jump, but let himself slide in slowly. The water was cold but not as harsh as he had expected judging by Xiumin’s reaction when he got in. He dunk his head back, letting the water push his hair back off his forehead.  

 

Xiumin waded over to him, grabbing his arm under the water and tugging him towards the waterfall. The prince let himself be pulled, happy to follow. When they were close enough that they could still hear each other over the roaring sounds of the water they stopped, floating near each other and looked up at the giant cliff. 

 

“I love to come here,” Xiumin admitted, running his hand through the water. 

“I understand why. It’s so pretty. Thank you for bringing me;,” Luhan muttered, sinking farther down so only his eyes peeked through. 

 

“How are you enjoying your stay?” Xiumin asked, trying to start a conversation. 

 

“I’m having more fun than I thought. I thought this would be all business, but it’s not. The only parts that I still haven’t gotten used to would be the breakfast with the King and Queen. I never know what to talk about with them. This morning I started talking about the rocks in Luna,” Luhan stated. Xiumin laughed and tilted his head towards the sun. His eyelashes caught the light and Luhan swore he could see gold specs across his cheekbones. He bit his lip and glanced back down at his hand. He cupped his palm and brought some of the water up. He gasped when he noticed that the liquid wasn’t red like he thought, but instead it was clear. 

 

Xiumin seemed to notice this and he chuckled. Haven’t you seen those pink beaches on Gaea? They’re made by the pink algae and creatures that are found there,” Xiumin explained. 

 

“Sorry, I didn’t know that. I don’t spend my time with my nose in a book as often as you do.” Luhan retorted. Xiumin just smiled and shrugged. He reached up and wrapped his arms around the prince’s neck, dragging him down under water. Luhan tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but by the time he gained leverage, Xiumin was already pulling them back up. 

 

Luhan coughed up water and stared at the way the librarian was laughing, his head thrown back and a giant smile plastered to his face. “Why did you do that?” Luhan questioned, running his hands through his hair and trying to look away from the other. Xiumin shrugged again and started swimming around in circles. Luhan really wanted to follow him or talk to him about stuff, but he didn’t know what to do, so he was just awkwardly floating around and staring at the other. 

 

“Want to head over to the waterfall?” Xiumin asked, When Luhan nodded slowly, Xiumin threw him another bright smile and started leading the way over to the waterfall. He seemed to be taking a curved path and when Luhan glanced below the water, he noticed that there were jagged rocks sticking up from the ground. Luhan let his toe graze over one of them to see how sharp it was and found them to be very dulled points, but they were in the way of the path given how large they were. 

 

When they neared closer, Xiumin started to lead them over to a shallow part of the river. He stopped just before the waterfall where only the sprays and the roaring sounds could be felt and heard at it’s strongest. He stood next to the prince, reaching up so he could speak into his ear. 

 

“There’s a cave behind here. It’s really pretty and not many people know about it. It’s kind of cold though and I don’t want you to get sick, so we can just look at it for a while,” Xiumin explained. He was so close, that the other’s arm was digging in his side and his breath ghosted over the shell of his ear, sending shivers down his spine. 

 

“Did you find the cave on your own?” Luhan asked, turning to face Xiumin. Their faces were so close and he could see every detail on the other’s face. 

 

“I found it when I was younger. My brother and I used to come to the river all the time with our parents and I always liked swimming off alone. I found the waterfall and then the cave,” Xiumin explained. 

 

“You have a brother?” Luhan asked. Xiumin nodded and looked away, a sure sign that he didn’t want to continue the conversation. He moved away and started walking towards the waterfall. Luhan didn’t want to lose him so he clung onto the other’s arm. He glanced down and remembered that they weren’t wearing anything other than underwear and he suddenly became self conscious. 

 

The waterfall was rough and it hit Luhan’s shoulders hard, the water falling over his eyes and making everything blurry. If it weren’t for the hand wrapped around Xiumin’s bicep keeping him steady, he would’ve fallen multiple times. When they entered the cave and the water was just a hollowed sound around the cave walls, Luhan shivered. It was really cold and Luhan felt even more exposed. His hair clung to his forehead and made it hard for him to see. If it weren’t for the fact that his hand was still wrapped tight around Xiumin’s arm, he would’ve felt lost. 

 

“This is pretty cool,” Luhan muttered. His eyesight was trying to get used to the dark, but it was too dark and the light seeping through the waterfall was dim and cast a red shadow around everything.He could only see a few feet in front of him. Xiumin’s back was facing him. The red glow being cast over him made his bright orange hair look maroon. It suited the other and Luhan wanted so badly to run his fingers through the strands and watch as they slipped through his fingers, almost like how he expected the red water to do.

 

"You're just saying that to make me happy, aren't you?" Xiumin chuckled. He turned to face the prince and the smile that he had all day was still there, but it was softer and his eyes somehow managed to gleam even in the darkness of the cave.

 

"No, I really think it's nice. Really dark, but nice."

 

"'I usually bring a flashlight with, but I didn't exactly know if we were going to come here today. Next time," Xiumin promised. He started pushing the prince backwards out the cave. "Come on, it's getting really chilly." Luhan let himself be dragged out of the cave and towards the waterfall. The sounds of the roaring waterfall grew louder and before he knew it, the water was rushing over him pulling him down. The hand around his shoulder grew tighter and pulled him back towards the librarian. Their chests pressed against each other. Luhan brought his hand up to hold the other's hand on his shoulder. They fell back into the river, away from the waterfall. The hand on his shoulder fell away taking Luhan's with it. Luhan sat up, the water level with his neck. Xiumin sat across from him, laughing. The prince furrowed his brows and brought a hand up to block out the sunlight. His eyes were still trying to adjust to the bright sun and all he could see was Xiumin's bright hair and the red river splashing against his back every time he laughed.

 

"Come on, I have to get you back to the castle. I'm sure the king wouldn't like it if you were late to dinner," Xiumin said, standing up and walking over to the shore. Luhan groaned and stood up, his knees cracking and making him wince at the sound.

 

"What if I skip it?" Luhan asked, making his way next to the librarian.

 

"Then what would you eat?" he questioned. "We don't really have food out here. I still have to take you to the castle."

 

"What about the city? Can you take me into the city?" Luhan asked. Xiumin winced beside him.

 

"I've never been to the city. I don't think I'll be a good host. You can take one of those bus tours," Xiumin suggested.

 

"Would you come with?"

 

"I don't think I can take time off," Xiumin responded. Luhan pouted. They reached the spot where they had thrown their clothes. Luhan was mostly dry except for his hair. He had gotten used to the hot temperatures of Mars, but he was surprised at how hot it must have been to get dry so quickly. The river wasn't as warm as he thought it would be and Luhan made a mental note to try and visit again some time later. He wondered if Xiumin would let him bring Yifan and Zitao, but with swim suits next time.

 

"If you can, let me know. I would love to go with you. I had a great time today," Luhan admitted. Xiumin beamed up at him. He brought his hand up to run through his orange locks and Luhan watched the movement not even trying to look away.

 

The walk back to the castle was much shorter than the walk over. Luhan was making mental notes about what turns they took. He still managed to admire the scenery. Xiumin had handed him a red flower he found on the floor. Luhan took it and placed it behind his ear.

  
  


They parted ways, Luhan going to dinner and Xiumin going back to the library. The dinner was short and felt much quieter without Prince Jongdae there. He was always cracking jokes and keeping the King and Queen from asking Luhan too many personal questions.

 

After the dinner, the King had pulled him aside and handed him another letter from Prince Minseok. He didn't know if he wanted to open it or not.

 

He decided that night to open the letter. The same seal was there and he ran his fingers over the bumps. He thought of how Prince Minseok had touched the same envelope and had waited for the wax to melt, just so he could seal it together. He wasn't careful this time with tearing it. The wax bent at some places, but Luhan didn't mind since he had the exact same seal preserved in the nightstand between one of his favorite books.

 

Luhan read the letter quickly, and reread it again. It was longer than the last one and it wasn't just yes and no answers to questions Luhan had asked. Instead, Prince Minseok took one question and just talked about it. Luhan had asked him his opinion on the palo verde flower. He wanted to know his thoughts on the library and Prince Minseok delivered. He talked so fondly of the stained glass windows that painted beautiful pictures and cast so many different colors over the books and tables and people in it. He spoke of the palo verde carvings and how he felt so touched that they were for him. He claimed he felt like he didn't deserve such a pretty library in his name.

 

When Luhan started a response, he had to make three different drafts because he found himself to be constantly bringing up Xiumin. On his last draft, he figured that leaving Xiumin out of the letter would be rude and it wouldn’t fully give his real response. Xiumin had played a big role in showing him around the castle. He was there the first night and he still happened to find his way next to the other. He was there with him at the ball and he was there with him when Prince Jongdae couldn’t show him around anymore. He was there when he went to the river for the first time. 

  
  


Luhan found himself in the library the next morning. He had dropped off the letter with the Queen after breakfast. He was sat at one of the tables beneath the stained glass windows and he was watching. He was watching the librarians every move quietly. He noticed that Xiumin would sneeze every so often because of the dust on certain books and how he would open some of the books and read paragraphs of the story to himself. He found himself smiling unconsciously at every act the other did. When he was done shelving the books, he made his way over to the table Luhan was sat and and asked if he wanted to go get something quick to eat. 

 

They made their way over to one of the gazebos in the garden. It was deeply contrasted by the yellow and red flowers around it because it was stark white and lilies grew up and around it. They sat on one of the benches and ate their sandwiches in peace. Xiumin would start talking about something he read in a book recently and Luhan would just listen and stare at the way his smile lit up his face. 

 

When Luhan went to bed that night, he thought of writing another letter to Prince Minseok. He didn’t know what to write and his pen stayed hovering over the paper, leaking ink and Luhan decided to just scrap the letter and go to bed early.  

  
  
  


The meeting that Luhan had been dreading, crept closer and closer until it happened to be that very afternoon. Luhan had pulled Zitao aside and asked him if he could postpone it. He didn’t want to stay in a room with just the King and Queen, along with Yifan and Prince Junmyeon to talk about the marriage. He knew he would be getting married to their first born and that it would provide a strong alliance needed to keep peace between both countries, but he didn’t want to talk about all the legalities needed to make it a reality. He just wanted to go to the library and forget about all of the responsibilities. 

 

The meeting was slow and long and he answered personal questions and his plans for the kingdom when he takes over as King. It dawned on him that not only was he going to marry someone he’s never met, but he was going to become king someday and all the pressure suddenly clicked. He had bit his lip and assured the King that he would make sure that the Lunan-Martian affairs would be kept civil and he would put all his effort in keeping both citizens happy. 

 

The King pulled him aside to reassure him that he would meet Prince Minseok soon and that they would have enough time to get to know each other before the wedding. Luhan gave him a strained smile and bowed, thanking him. The King handed him another letter. It was the fourth one from Prince Minseok and Luhan didn’t want to open it. 

 

He walked to the library. Yifan was calling after him, but the prince ignored him continuing towards the library. He sped up and when he reached the giant double doors, he didn’t knock and barged in. Xiumin was sitting at the table in the middle and when the door slammed behind the prince, he looked up in shock. 

 

“Your highness! Are you okay?” Xiumin asked, standing up abruptly. His chair knocked over, but he ignored it and made his way over to the prince. He brought a hand up and placed it on the prince’s shoulder. “Is this about the meeting? Did they say something that made you upset?” 

 

“Can you come with me to the garden?” Luhan asked, ignoring the other’s questions. Xiumin nodded. He was confused, but Luhan knew that he didn’t want to upset him any further. 

 

The walk to the garden seemed way too long. Luhan was concentrating on the hand that was wrapped around his wrist and he wanted so badly to pull away. He also wanted to intertwine their fingers, but he thought against both and just continued walking. 

 

When they made it to the lone tree by the fountain where he had first seen the palo verde. He led the librarian over so they were situated right under the falling branches, hiding them almost like a blanket. 

 

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or did you just want to go to the garden,” Xiumin asked. 

Luhan bit his lip and stared at the other. He didn’t want to think about what he was going to say because he didn’t want to second guess everything that he’s been thinking. 

 

“I think I’m in love with you,” Luhan blurted out. He watched at the other’s reaction even though he wanted to look away. He didn’t want to take anything back and he knew that if he looked away and thought about anything other than the person in front of him, he would wimp out. “You don’t have to respond and I think it’d be better if you didn’t. If you did, I would feel bad about everything and feel bad towards my fiance for even feeling something like this for someone else.” Luhan muttered. 

 

“Your highness, I don’t know how to respond even if you wanted a response,” Xiumin responded. His gaze was downward and his cheeks were burning red. 

 

“Just tell me if you feel the same and we could just forget this all” Luhan pleaded. 

 

“I thought you said you didn’t want an answer,” Xiumin joked, his voice cracking at the end. 

 

“I know, but I take that back. I just want to know if you feel the same way, or if I’m crazy.”

 

“You’re not crazy.” Luhan broke out in a smile and reached for the librarians hand and brought it to his heart. He wasn’t crazy and Xiumin felt the same. Just knowing that what he felt was right made him happy. He would work out the rest later. He would find a way for them to get together. He knew he said that they could just forget it all, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to be with Xiumin forever and if it meant war then he’ll do it. He could just tell the King that he didn’t feel right with marrying someone he didn’t know. He was sure that the King would understand his want for marrying someone he loved. It wasn’t like the King found love so taboo. He wouldn’t have planted hundreds of palo verdes if he did. 

 

Luhan would go right now. It was so soon after the meeting that he believed he could get out of the marriage easily. They would find a new way to keep the alliance. Luhan started walking back towards the castle. Xiumin followed along, his hand still intertwined with Luhan’s. Luhan would have to explain why he was still holding his hand even though he told him they could just forget everything. 

 

Yifan was stood outside the doors with his arms crossed. Zitao was next to him and he looked really worried. Luhan dropped Xiumin’s hand sending him a look and walked over to the two. 

 

“Prince Luhan, we have to go back to Luna. Your father is requesting you. He says it’s urgent and he’ll tell you when we’re on the plane,” Yifan stated. Luhan looked back at where Xiumin was standing. 

 

“I understand,” Luhan responded. “Anything for Luna. When do we leave?” 

 

“We should be leaving now. The staff helped us pack. You can say goodbye. We should back before the wedding,” Zitao explained. Luhan nodded. He turned away from the two and made his way over to the librarian. 

 

“I’m needed back at Luna. I’ll be back and we can figure everything out then,” Luhan explained. Xiumin sent him a pained smile. He reached for the prince’s hand and held it. 

 

“I think you were right in that we should just forget about it. I don’t think you should try to do anything drastic. Go to Luna and when you come back I’ll be here. We can be friends, but you have a duty to follow and I don’t want you to change that,” Xiumin muttered. He looked away, up at where Yifan and Zitao were standing. 

 

“You’ll still be here right? You aren’t lying to me to make me feel better? You won’t leave the kingdom once I leave?” Luhan asked. Xiumin laughed softly. He shook his head. 

 

“Goodbye, your highness,” Xiumin said, letting go of the other’s hand. He took the first step away, back towards the garden. Luhan watched him go. He wanted so badly to chase after him, but the librarian was right. He had a duty to follow. Luhan looked back up at his advisors. He was going to go back to Luna and he was going to take the other’s advice and try to forget. 

  
  
  


Luhan forgot how much he loved Luna. He didn’t really and he’d never forget his home, but seeing it again after how long he’s been away really made him realize how much he loved and missed Luna. 

 

The drive back to the castle felt longer than the plane over. He wanted to get home right away and find out why his father needed him back. Yifan refused to tell him, stating that it wasn’t his place to tell and he didn’t want to worry the prince. 

 

Luhan stared outside of the window of the car and watched the plains of Luna passed by. 

 

He was greeted by his father when he made his way through the palace doors. They were stark white and absent of any intricate designs on the frame. He bowed and let his father lead him quietly down the hall. Luhan didn't question it. He never questioned his father's orders.

 

When his father led him into his room and he saw his mother lying down, pale and weak. He rushed over to the side of the bed. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. He wanted to ask his father why he didn't alert him quicker. He wanted to ask his mother if she was okay or if it was serious, but he couldn't get anything out. He just stared at his mom in shock and looked over at where his father stood by the door quietly.

 

"She's okay, son. She has been ill and she just wanted to see you. It's been months since we've talked. Our son didn't think it was necessary to send his parents a letter every now and then," his father said, rolling his eyes at his son. His mother giggled and pushed herself to sit up. Luhan reached over and placed a pillow behind her for more comfort.

 

"He's right, Luhan. We've only received word from the Martian King of your whereabouts. You didn't even send a letter to tell us about the ball," his mother scolded.

 

"I'm sorry, mother. I was really busy," Luhan responded, blushing and looking down at his hands. He can't believe he really left his parents in the dark about everything. "I'll make it up to you. When you get better, we can go for a walk and talk about everything I've been up to."

 

"Luhan, honey, I'm perfectly capable to walk on my own. We can go right now. It's been a while since we've talked as a family," his mother laughed, standing up and walking over to her changing room. Luhan chuckled and walked out with his father so they could wait for the Queen to get ready.

 

"So, mom is perfectly fine? Why did she look so sick?" he questioned.

 

You know your mother. She's so dramatic sometimes. She's the one who made me call for you. I told her not to worry, that you'd visit soon, but you really did leave us in the dark. You know how mothers are," his father shrugged.

 

His mother emerged from her room wearing one of her many white lace gowns. Luhan laughed. His mother really was dramatic and the fact that she was dressed for a ball when they were just going for a walk showed it.

  
  


Luhan’s mother kept asking him about his trip on Mars. He answered with short sentences and he didn’t mention Xiumin at all. His father asked him about the ball and if he talked to any important people. Luhan had smiled and said that he spent a good amount of his time networking. 

  
  


His mother kept joking about how when Luhan goes back down, she’s going to go with her. The king had raised an eyebrow and told his son that his mother wasn’t joking and she was already packing. 

 

Luhan spent most of his time in his father’s office doing paperwork. He met up with some of the advisors along with Yifan, but when he wasn’t doing any of that, he was in his room reading the letters from Prince Minseok. He would stare at the seal and run his finger over the paper especially over the parts where the pen had dripped more ink. 

 

He’d take walks alone through the kingdom and watch as the citizens would bow at him and offer him free fruit. 

 

He once passed a vendor who was selling plants. They had a small yellow flower plant that stood in contrast amongst the other pale flowers. He had bought it and taken it to his mother as a gift. She had placed it in the foyer. 

 

It had been a month until Luhan heard anything from or about Mars. Luhan had started watching Prince Jongdae and the Duke’s show about their wedding, but the newer episodes were just about their trip to Tethys. He wanted to write a letter to the other princes, especially Prince Minseok, but he couldn’t find it in him to even take out his pen. 

 

Luhan was walking down the halls towards the pool when Yifan had stopped him in his tracks. He was walking with Zitao. The assistant was behind him, his arms crossed. Luhan was reminded of his last day on Mars. 

 

“What is it now?” Luhan questioned. Yifan chuckled and nudged Zitao forward. 

 

“Your father wants you in his office,” Zitao stated. They both turn around and lead the prince towards the king’s office. 

 

Luhan entered the office, closing the door behind him leaving Yifan and Zitao in the hallway. His father was stood over one of his cabinets holding a large file in his hands. Besides his desk was a small bag overflowing with papers. Luhan saw that the file was titled Mars in gold lettering and he smiled softly thinking of the red planet. 

 

“Pack your bags, son!” the king smiled, turning around and trying to stuff the file into the bag. “We’re going to Mars. The king just sent word that Prince Minseok is going to do a face reveal and of course his fiance has to be there.”

 

Before Luhan could say anything, his mother barged into the room and walked up to the king and hugged him. She turned to Luhan and smiled at the prince. “Honey aren’t you excited?” She asked, noticing the way Luhan was just staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. He didn’t know how to respond. He expected to go back to Mars later on. Months later. Now there was word of the prince doing a reveal and he was going to meet him. 

  
  
  


The trip back to Mars was eventful since he was no longer alone with only Yifan and Zitao to keep him company. His mother was asking him many questions on how the Queen was and if she talked about her. His father and he played checkers together and Luhan had lost very quickly. He wasn’t really in the spirit to be playing games. His mind was on how he was probably going to meet his future fiance soon. He was going to see the Kim princes soon. And he was going to see Xiumin again. 

 

His mother stood up to take a seat across from her son, who was lying down listening to music. She poked his leg trying to catch his attention. He jolted up, hitting his head on the table. His mother chuckled, and rubbed his head, cooing at him. 

 

“Yes?” Luhan asked, turning off his music. 

 

“We should be arriving soon. Do you want to tell your mother why you’re acting off?” She asked. 

 

“I’m just thinking about how I’ll meet Prince Minseok today. From his letters, I think we’ll like each other,” he hummed. His mother smiled and brought her son close to her, so she could hug him. Luhan groaned yet hugged her back. 

 

“The Martian king wants to hold a ball after the reveal. It’ll be a good way to talk to your fiance. The official meeting will be the morning after. I can't wait to decide the wedding details," his mother cooed. Luhan looked away from her and over at the window on the other side. He could feel the plane tilting down. _ Wedding.  _ He smiled up at his mother. "Exciting," he responded. His mother bit her lip and gave one last smile before standing up and making her way back over to where his father sat.

  
  


The terminal was exactly the same, but instead of Yifan and Zitao waiting for him at the bottom, it was just some random guard that was hired to escort the royal Lu family to the castle. He cracked a smile when his mother cursed at not remembering how bright it was.

 

Yifan and Zitao took separate cars and Luhan was forced to hear his parents talk about how they remembered the princes vaguely and how they've grown so much. His mother was excited to meet Prince Jongdae's fiance. She claimed she was a big fan of their show and that  _ "That Yixing boy is such a character! _ " 

 

When they got off the car, the same five people were standing there, except the Queen was standing between her husband and Prince Junmyeon. His mother was the first to make her way up the steps and down the line of people, greeting them all. He followed closely behind her, telling each person how it was nice to see them again. Prince Jongdae had changed his hair color to a soft blonde that complimented him so well.

 

The king of Mars led them to one of the many common rooms. 

 

Luhan was itching to ask if Prince Minseok was here and if he’d get to see him before the reveal. He also wanted to get up and make his way over to the library to see if Xiumin was there. He wanted to do so much, but all he managed was sitting beside his mother and take her hand in his. 

 

He let them talk their small talk. Luhan wondered why they hadn’t brought up the reveal.

 

He cleared his throat and all ten people looked at him expectantly. “If the reveal is tomorrow for the kingdom citizens, do I get to meet him before?” He asked. Queen Kim smiled and looked at her husband. 

 

“I’m sorry Crown Prince Luhan, he won't be here until the reveal tomorrow. He was running a little late. I told him we should reschedule, but he brought up the fact that we’d have to tell the whole kingdom.” The King explained. Luhan nodded. He felt himself visibly deflate and his mom’s hand tightened around his. 

  
  


When his mother claimed she wanted to see the garden, the Queen had stood up ready to give her the tour. Luhan took this as an opening to say he needed to take a nap because of the flight. Prince Jongdae offered to escort him, but he claimed he could find the way on his own. 

 

As much as he wanted to stop by the library, he really was tired and he really did want to sleep. He had hoped that maybe he wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow. Maybe Prince Minseok would show up sooner or maybe he’ll be able to stop by the library early in the morning and surprise the librarian.

 

He unpacked his suitcase and fell onto  the bed, his clothing falling around him. 

  
  
  


Yifan barged into his room, waking Luhan up and making him almost fall out of bed. “Good morning, sunshine!” He shouted. He opened the curtains and Luhan was shocked by how bright it was outside. He didn’t remember going to bed last night. 

 

“Today is the reveal,” he muttered. Yifan whistled and started getting Luhan a change of clothes from the pile that was pushed to the floor throughout the night. “What time is it?” Luhan asked, grabbing a pair of dress pants. 

 

“It’s around noon. The reveal should be in two more hours. That’s just enough time to get you dressed and fed in time,” Yifan responded. 

 

“Noon?” Luhan shouted. He wanted to scream. He wasn’t supposed to go to sleep and he wasn’t supposed to wake up so late. If he only had two more hours that would mean he didn’t have enough time to stop by the library. 

 

“Zitao should be coming any second with your food. Put this on and try to look pretty,” Yifan said, leaving the room. 

 

Luhan didn’t know how he was supposed to <i> look pretty </i>. He wore his official colors and put some gel in his hair, but other than that, he felt pretty bleh for having slept for almost a whole day. He didn’t even feel like it was possible. 

 

Zitao had walked in with a couple of sandwiches and told him he only had a few more minutes. His mother knocked a few minutes later and barged in with his father in tow. She made her way right over to her son and started messing with his hair. His father went to the nightstand and saw the letters from Prince Minseok laid out. He didn’t grab one, but instead stared at the seal with furrowed brows. 

 

“Honey, you look so good,” his mother gushed. “Doesn’t he look good, my love?” She asked turning her son around so she could see him through the mirror. Her husband grunted in agreement. 

 

“I am so excited,” she said, squeezing his arms. Luhan managed a weak smile. He was excited yes, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how he had missed being able to go to by the library. 

 

They walked together towards the conference room. Luhan between his parents and Zitao and Yifan trailing behind. He had heard that the conference room had a large balcony that led outside and below would be most of the citizens lucky enough to get a ticket to the reveal. The rest of the citizens and people in different kingdoms all over space would be able to stream it on television. 

 

Inside were the Kim family already seated and talking amongst themselves. His mother made her way over to the queen right away and took her place next to her. They started talking excitedly about the ball later. 

 

Luhan made his way over to the other princes. Prince Junmyeon was the first to notice him. “Are you excited?” He asked. Luhan gave him a tight lipped smile. He was more than excited, he wanted to throw up.  

 

The Martian King walked out and came back in telling everyone that the prince was here. They should be starting any minute and should start getting in line in how they were going to file out onto the large balcony. The Kim princes were going first with Luhan and his parents following behind. The last one to walk out would be the Martian king who would introduce his son after a small speech. 

 

Luhan was sad that he wouldn’t be able to see the prince before and he would have to see his fiance the same time that the citizens would.  He saw Prince Jongin and Prince Jongdae hold hands and he bit his lip. It wasn’t only him who was going to meet Prince Minseok for the first time. He balled his fist and looked away. 

 

The giant clock tower rang three times. A few of the staff walked in to direct them out. He kept glancing at the giant double doors that led into the conference room in hopes that he’d be able to get a quick glimpse of Prince Minseok. 

 

Luhan tried to listen to the king’s speech, but his gaze kept travelling to the entrance. When he heard the citizens cheer loudly he looked back at the door and saw Xiumin standing there. He didn't meet the younger's gaze and he wanted to call out for him and ask him why he was there, He had dyed his hair to a black, almost blue, and it made him look even more radiate. He was dressed in formal attire supporting the reds and golds of Mars.

 

Xiumin glanced at him finally and gave the other a weak smile before walking up behind the Martian King.

 

"I would like to introduce, my son, Prince Minseok," the king announced, stepping aside and letting Xiumin walk in front.

 

Luhan didn't know what he was hearing. He couldn't possibly have heard that right. There was no way that Xiumin was the Prince Minseok. They had to have been pranking him. He glanced over at Prince Jongdae and Jongin and saw them clutching each other, tears running down their face. His limbs were weak and he felt like he was going to fall over. His mother was smiling and his father was grasping onto her arm trying to keep himself from pushing his son towards the prince.

 

Luhan felt like he was on autopilot. First, he was watching everything unfold, and second, he was making his way over to Xiumin, no, Prince Minseok. He wrapped an arm around the prince's waist and pulled him close, making the other gasp under his breath. Luhan noticed the crown that was just placed on his head tilt from the action. Prince Minseok stared at him with wide eyes and Luhan stared back, a dopey grin plastered on his face.

 

He couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe how lucky he was. He didn't have to worry about never seeing Xiumin again if he was to marry him. He brought the prince in for a hug. He tasted salt and noticed that he was crying. Minseok mumbled something that Luhan couldn't hear because he was too busy laughing.

 

He managed to pull away from the other, but he couldn't manage to look away. Minseok was smiling also and just the thought of Minseok being happy made Luhan want to dance with joy. He was so unbelievably lucky that his fiance was someone he truly loved. He wanted to run away with the prince, but he knew he had no reason to. They were going to get married and be happy and never have to worry about anything. Maybe some political stuff, but all that could wait. Everything could wait because all he wanted to do was kiss the man in front of him.

 

He caressed the other's cheek with the his thumb. He tilted the other’s chin up and kissed him. It was short and sweet. Around him the citizens were clapping and cheering and even the two kings were laughing joyfully. Luhan knew he should give the prince some space and let him talk to his brothers, but he couldn’t let go. Minseok laughed and got out of his grasp yet still holding onto his hand tightly. Luhan wanted to kiss him again, not satisfied with the simple kiss he had given him before. Minseok was enveloped by his brothers and he tugged against Luhan’s hand bringing him in the hug also. 

 

Jongdae kept teasing Luhan about how Luhan looked so happy and couldn’t stop blushing for the life of him. Their mothers kept patting their backs and pushing them closer to each other for the pictures they claimed. The citizens below kept cooing whenever Luhan would do anything towards Minseok affectionately. The Martian king saved a few words after, closing the ceremony, and all of the people on the balcony made it back into the conference room. Luhan was still holding Minseok’s hand and when they found themselves pushed into a corner away from everyone, he couldn't help but kiss him again. And again.

 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Luhan asked, pulling away and just rubbing circles on his arm. Minseok laughed and rolled his eyes. He shrugged.

 

"I didn't really have a plan, to be honest. I was just going to let whatever happens happen," Minseok hummed.

 

"Oh! I feel so weird! I talked to you about you for the longest times and you were just there listening and probably laughing at me on the inside!" Luhan cried, when it finally sunk in. Minseok laughed again and nodded. Every time Luhan would go to  _ Xiumin _ to ask about  _ Minseok _ he would actually be talking to Xiumin who was actually Minseok. It hurt his brain to even think about it any further.

 

Luhan's mom made her way over to the two and wrapped her arms around them, bringing them to her chest. "I'm so happy to see my son is happy. I see you two obviously know each other and I feel like you're the reason my son never sent me any letters," she joked, letting the two go. "You must tell me the story about what happened between you two."

 

"Uh, it's a long story," Luhan muttered. Minseok chuckled and wrapped an arm around Luhan's waist.

 

"Great! You can tell it at the ball tonight," his mother cheered. Luhan watched her walk away.

 

"Good luck, Luhan," Minseok smirked. Luhan looked over at him and smiled.

 

"I just found out I'm very lucky," Luhan stated. He leaned down and brought Minseok in for another kiss, this time deepening it despite the fact that there were people around.

 

He was really really lucky.

**Author's Note:**

> follow my [twt](https://twitter.com/rimminq) thank you guys so much for reading this kfjdlfjalsdfj I really want to thank everyone again for helping me!


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